After watching the Olympics competition in synchronized swimming, some spectators walked away wondering how they managed to keep their cap-free hair and makeup immaculate throughout the routine in the water.

"It's unflavored Jell-O — we mix it with water, and it turns into a gooey mixture," Team USA members told Vogue. "When it dries, it gets really hard and your hair doesn't fall out when you swim. We like to add glitter and other decorations to it — it's easy."

And how are gymnasts able to defy ill-fated wedgies during tumbles and leaps?

"You're not allow to [pick a wedgie] or else you get deducted. So a lot of people use like sticky spray for your butt so your leotard doesn't move," 2008 Olympic individual all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin told People.

“They (athletes) always rechalk the bar the way they want it. That’s why a lot of these athletes travel with their own chalk — just to stay in their own comfort zones,” said Jonathan Horton, an American who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Horton served as a gymnastics analyst for NBC during the Rio Olympics.

Team USA's Sam Mikulak noted to NBC Olympics after a trip to Rio earlier this year that the chalk in South America is magnesium carbonate, which he described as feeling more like baking powder than chalk.

Some table tennis players apply speed glue between the wood of their paddle and the striking surface. It's a technique that aids extra elasticity. Volatire organic compound (VOC) based glues were banned after the Beijing Olympics because of concerns regarding that type of glue on the health of competitors.

"Not only does it look cool, but it actually serves a purpose," Anderson said.

Dr. Heather Linden of United States Olympic Committee Sports Medicine says kinesio tape helps with an athlete's posture and circulation, but also admits there is no science to back up those claims yet.